Hello, My English is not native. I have basic question and I did not found an answer in other posts. I am writing a book and I am using InDesign for that but I really don't know what is the US standard for the pages? Letter is 8.5" on 11" but all the books I see it is 9" on 11", so what are the standard size? Thanks
That should not be your concern. The publisher decides layout and page size and font. You should be writing in manuscript format. First off, look at potential publishers. Many post manuscript guidelines. In general, the most commonly preferred format is a 12 point fixed-width serif font (Courier New is widely recommended), Letter sized paper (8.5" x 11"), 1" margins on all sides. Courier is often considered much more readable than Times New Roman. The text should be left-aligned (ragged right), and numbering begins after the title page. Short pieces generally do not require a cover page. Instead, the title and auther (pen name) appear at the top of page 1. As always, check your publisher's submission guidelines to see whether a title page is requested. Paragraph format should be double spaced, with no leading or trailing vertical spacing, and with a 0.5" first line indent. Each page except the title page should have a header that contains the author's last name (pen name), condensed title (some publishers suggest all caps), and page number. When submitting a hardcopy manuscript, it should be printed single-sided unless the publisher specifies otherwise. Before submitting, check that publishers's guidelines and make appropriate adjustments. The above settings will meet many publishers' guidelines and will require minimal changes for most others.
